A Boy and His Blob: Retro Collection is a good collection of two original games from a long past retro era. It’s presented in its original retro form, warts and all, with minimal features which may not work for everyone. For the price of entry, though, this is a very good gaming deal. For me, I found the best way to enjoy this game is just to dig in, make mistakes and learn from them the old-fashioned way. A bot-like life, I guess. I even got the notepad out to make notes along the way. If you love your retro, this is well worth picking up. If you’re looking for something totally different and can put up with its often frustrating trial-and-error gameplay, this should make for some satisfying gaming sessions.
Super Bomberman R2 is an exploding good time, especially if you want to enjoy the multiplayer with friends locally or online. As someone who has enjoyed the series for a while, it’s not my favourite entry in the series, but it still gets so much right. The gameplay is as simple and addictive as ever, whether you are looking to have a quick match or you are looking to top the online leaderboards. I’ll even credit the single player who it at least tries to divert from the series’ familiar formula. For those with time and creativity, you can sink down the rabbit hole of the level editor. Basically, it’s Bomberman, it’s still fun, and I recommend it. Have a blast.
Knight vs. Giant: The Broken Excalibur is a good action roguelike worth its name. Combat is fun and satisfying, offering addictive pick-up-and-play gameplay that kept me returning run after run. I was personally very fond of the fantasy setting as a fan of the lore. However, it doesn’t bring much to the round table compared to other games in the genre and also suffers similar issues. The game can be grindy and requires a lot of investment before you get to the good stuff, making some runs feel like obligations than time well spent. If you love the genre, it’s a quest worth taking up. But if this has never been your chalice, then you need not venture. Somehow, I’m not tired of this genre yet, and Kings Vs. Giants certainly made a video game Knight out of me.
Wargroove 2 is extraordinary value for money. For less than a third of the price of a modern AAA, you’re getting one groovy SRPG. A campaign that is suited to newcomers and experienced players. Then you have the addictive new conquest mode, putting a fresh roguelike spin on things and even the ability to create your own levels and campaigns. All these aspects feel carefully crafted with deep and engaging gameplay that will keep you busy for a very long time. This is all wrapped up with a colourful pixel art style and epic soundtrack. I found myself hooked to the gameplay even when I failed, keen to learn and change up my strategy next time. The game may not divert much from the first in terms of its gameplay, but that’s unlikely going to be a problem for returning fans. Wargroove 2 stands as one of the titans in its genre.
RoboDunk is easily the best sports video game I have played in a very long time. Bringing the excitement and spectacle of basketball into a fun pick-up and play experience that becomes all the deeper for players who choose to take the time to master it. Fun alone and with friends in both long and short bursts of gameplay. If I had to nitpick anything, the game could feel a little grindy to unlock new content and upgrade your players. Otherwise, this is an utter slam dunk from the developers.
Pizza Possum is a great game to pick up. Especially if you’re looking for something short and simple, ideal for a gaming break or when you just want to switch your brain off after one of those days. Easy to pick up, pretty hard to put down, Pizza Possum ticks all the right boxes for an original arcade game that comes in at a nice low price. Alone or with a loved one, this comes highly recommended. This is also probably the best video game where you play a possum that I know of.
I do not recommend Notebook Ninja Fights. Even with its enormous faults, I can see the potential of this title, with its unique art design and potentially quick-to-the-point gameplay. Sadly, it seems the game that this could be will unlikely surface. According to Steam, this was originally released in March 2022 but recently patched this year to add controller support. It feels like a lot of work is needed to make this the fun ninja game it could be. What I find more confusing is that the trailer presents this as a more polished experience. In reality, that is not the case. As it stands, you don’t need to play Notebook Ninja Fights. You’ll find more entertainment doodling in your own notebook and imagining your own game.
30XX is everything a sequel should be. I actually really liked 20XX; some folk were deterred by its style and graphics. If you were one of those people, you may want to consider coming back to 30XX. It’s basically better than everything. It has better graphics, improved level design, tight controls, addictive gameplay and, most importantly, the ability to play it as a rogue-lite or a more standard action platformer. There really is something here for everyone. If you do invest the time to get better the way it’s designed, you will hopefully find a fulfilling gaming experience like I did. The developers’ hard work has truly paid off. 30XX is well worth your time, and I see this being on my gaming rotation until 40XX.
It’s easy to look at Shalnor Legends 2: Trial of the Thunder and write it off as a Zelda clone that doesn’t quite reach the heights of that series. However, that is not how I have chosen to view it. While it’s not without faults, this is a big step up from the developer’s first game in the series, both in terms of graphics and gameplay. This is another example of a game where the effort and love from the developer shows, plus you get to play as an Orc for a change. It also launched without any glitches or bugs that I could spot. If the developer keeps at this trajectory, I don’t doubt that their future projects will be truly special. So long as you look past some rough edges, a satisfying adventure awaits if you choose to set sail.
I really enjoyed my time with Super Adventure Hand. This is a physics puzzler with solid controls and entertaining bite-sized gameplay. The game felt at its peak when it experimented with more unusual mechanics like vehicles and level design. It faulted a little bit for me by relying too heavily on key collecting. Regardless, Super Adventure Hand still had me hooked to the end. While the game is only single-player, I can see this being a fun novelty experience to share with loved ones in the same room. Maybe swapping the controller or Switch between levels. This will likely get a giggle or two, if nothing else. It gets a solid one thumb up from me.
Boti: Byteland Overclocked will likely win over the hearts of any gamer looking for a fun casual experience to play alone or with a loved one. Gorgeous graphics, tight platforming, and collectable gameplay make this one of the best platformers I have played this year. On top of that, you can enjoy this game either online or in local co-op, enabling you to share the positive vibes together however you please. The game falls slightly short with its combat and being a tad too easy. Even so, if you’re looking for something just to put a smile on yourself, then Boti will absolutely achieve that.
Overall, I really liked Gravity Oddity. On the surface, it’s fair some gamers will play this and just see a by-the-numbers action roguelike with simple graphics. For me, it goes so much deeper than that if you give it the time. This truly feels like a game the developer sank a lot of love working within their boundaries yet making something unique and charming. Sure, I found things got hectic at times, and like any roguelike, this has some crazy difficulty spikes that you don’t expect. But I sure had a lot of fun playing this and feel it’s worth your time, whether you are new to roguelikes or experienced in the genre. Gravity Oddity took me to the stars, and I was very happy with the journey, even if it meant a lot of failures in the process.
Taito Milestones 2 is a second helping of arcade goodness that comes highly recommended for any fan of retro gaming. Much like the first collection, what stands out most about this is the games are more unusual and different than you may be used to, which is something I’ve always admired about Taito. Of course, that means some of the games will be better than others but even those that didn’t click, I’m grateful to have the opportunity to try them on a modern system. It would have been nice to have more love for the history of Taito, but this still stands as the best way to enjoy these classic games on modern systems. Insert a fictitious coin and have fun.
Die After Sunset has the promise of an enjoyable rogue-lite experience, with some pretty big ambitions for its design. But the Switch version is not there yet. It’s let down by poor performance and several glitches that don’t make for the best gameplay experience. As someone who loves the roguelite genre, I could push through the problems and find some enjoyment, although it did require a lot of grinding and tolerance. PC may be the way to go if you need your rogue-lite fix. For now, consider Wishlisting this and being patient for patches. The developers are clearly working on it since, during the review, they already fixed a glitch that stopped the tutorial from functioning. The sun may have set on the game for now, but a better game will hopefully resurface when the sun rises soon.
This is another great collection from Toaplans’ back catalogue that will undoubtedly please retro gaming fans or anyone looking for some quick-fire gameplay. Solid ports with satisfying quality-of-life improvements. An example of retro gaming ported to modern systems is done very well. The only niggle is that the history of each game is not celebrated with its artwork, documents or videos from the developers. But, much like how Blu-rays or DVDs rarely celebrate, making of this seems to be the norm these days. If you’re here to game, here are four games where you can jump into a flying machine and feel like a gaming rockstar for a few minutes before getting on with the rest of your day.
Chickenoidz Super Party is an egg waiting to hatch. What I mean by this is it has the potential to be a decent game to play with your buddies on a game night, but it’s not there currently. I still get very confused about why games continue to be released in unfinished states. Currently, this feels like a decent demo that will entertain for a few rounds but not something I felt attracted to after that. Maybe that will change with updates and more content, but if you are looking for your next game night fix, consider wish listing this and waiting for updates
Moving Out 2 is a good game, and I do recommend it, especially with friends or if you’re a parent and want something to enjoy with the younglings. Compared to the first game, the developers have added much more level variety and plenty of variety in gameplay. For me, though, not all of this hit the mark, and I still found the experience at times quite frustrating and not as joyful as the happy characters waddling about on screen. If you played the first game and it didn’t land, then you don’t need to jump into this one. But if you’re new, loved the first game or have friends that want something fun and silly for game night, you shouldn’t be disappointed. If only moving out was this much fun in real life.
Ember Knights is a rogue-lite that burns with a fiery passion of pick-up and play controls and enjoyable arcade style gameplay. Simple to pick up but hard to put down. It’s made all the more brighter if you can play with friends. While the formula is familiar, there is no denying that this is a polished experience in every aspect of a game’s core goal of entertaining the player. Ember Knights is another example where you don’t need to reinvent the formula to make a fun game. So if you’re looking for your next game night, alone or with friends, consider adding this to the schedule.
Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons is a very good brawler, not just for fans of the series but for anyone that wants to sit down for a satisfying blast of one-two-punch action. It’s great to see a brawler add more depth to the single-player experience by allowing you to pick two characters and swap between them on the fly. It’s not quite as enjoyable as playing in local co-op mode with a friend, but it’s a welcome feature. Gaiden may be a side story compared to the main series, but it’s easily one of the best entries I’ve played. It’s just such a blast to jump in and attempt a run. With a similar feeling I got playing brawlers back in the retro days; only the controls are much tighter. Whether alone or with a friend, Gaiden will surely keep you entertained on your next game night.
The Repair House: Restoration Sim is a good simulator game. Comfortable controls, a huge variety of items to play with and an addictive gameplay loop make this a solid recommendation. There are a few niggles. It can take some time to unlock things as the trickle of money is quite small, especially early in the game. The repetitive gameplay loop may not be to everyone’s taste. I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating if you’re not into the busybody nature of games like this or just don’t like simulator games. This probably won’t be for you. What is worth mentioning is the developer is listening to feedback from the player base and looking to continue to update the game. So consider wish listing if you don’t jump on it right now. The Repair House: Restoration Sim is a big win for me as not only is it a relaxing and engaging experience, but it also just generally restored my faith in this genre.